any unsegmented worm of the phylum (or class) Nematoda, having a tough outer cuticle. The group includes free-living forms and disease-causing parasites, such as the hookworm and filaria
Also called: nematode worm, roundworm
nematode in American English
(ˈnɛməˌtoʊd)
noun
any of a phylum (Nemata) of worms, often parasites of animals and plants, with long, cylindrical, unsegmented bodies and a heavy cuticle, as the hookworm or pinworm; roundworm
Word origin
< ModL Nematoda: see nemato- & -ode2
Examples of 'nematode' in a sentence
nematode
Simply add the nematodes to the water when you give your plants a drink.